Sustainable Energy - Why Aren't We Using It

It seems we are always hearing about the alternatives to the Fossil Fuels we have all come to rely upon and take for granted in our - and our Ancestors lifetimes.

The reason for the Hype is that the Fuels we all take for granted such as Coal, Oil, Gasoline are rapidly running out, ie they are not Sustainable Energy because we are stripping the assets and not replacing them - I suppose a bit like over-fishing of the seas. Word has it that all these fuels will be used up in about 100 years time - which with an "I'm all right Jack" attitude will just about do us but with consideration for our kids and their kids etc., it will not do at all.

As well as the term Sustainable Energy - other buzz words include Green Energy, Eco-friendly Energy, Non-Polluting Energy etc., These are used when talking about sources of energy which are naturally renewable and so considered more 'Green'

Here is a brief glimpse of just two from the several renewable power options:

Solar Power as an alternative form of electricity is created by attracting the radiation from the sun and capturing it - usually on a solar panel which is a series of silicone chip blocks that produce, when connected together, enough power to heat and light an average house. Because the silicone chip blocks are expensive, it can be a costly exercise to install a system at home and it is estimated that a solar panel system in an average house would need to be replaced about once every fifteen years.

Hydro Power as an alternative form of electricity appears to be the most widely used of the renewable energy sources and electricity is generated through the use of gravitational force of water that is falling or flowing. A Hydroelectric plant can take several forms (tidal power, pumped storage, Run of the River) but the most widely used is the Conventional Hydro plant where dammed water drives a water turbine and generator. No direct waste is created from the system once it is in place.

There's really nothing new in the information above but it seems to me that 'everyone' has been talking about it for too long and although some small replacements have been made there is still too much talk and too little action to deal with the problem. So now that these alternative sources of energy have been identified they need to be subject to indepth feasibility studies as it seems that if this does not happen they will always carry the 'alternative' tag and never become the new Green replacement. The trouble with that is - the clock's ticking ..